


Hope

by Cheeseydare



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:55:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24108598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheeseydare/pseuds/Cheeseydare
Summary: "Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat." -Ralph Ellison
Kudos: 19





	Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Halo is essentially my childhood and as I've gotten older I began to appreciate the story behind my favorite game more and more. It's always seemed to me to be about humanity, what it means to be human and how to face near certain defeat.  
> The beauty of this particular universe is that it's enormous and so there are opportunities galore for little moments in between the fighting and heroics. Hope you enjoy Blue Team being the OGs that they are.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Alexandra Gunnarsdóttir grimaced as she gulped down the remains of her coffee. It had been reheated but was cold once again, lost in the rush of wounded men and women who had been transported back from the ground. She couldn’t tell if they had won or lost but they were leaving. The order from Commander Wayland to prepare for Slipspace departure had been very clear. 

Six years. Six long, bloody, and to her eyes, losing years they had been in this war. Her parents had screamed and begged and pleaded for her not to enlist but she had the requisite medical training and people needed help. It was why she had gone to medical school in the first place. 

Alexandra never considered herself a soldier, though, not really. Not like the men and women who arrived in her medbay drenched in blood and begging for help. 

_Although,_ she thought, _I could pass for one with how much blood I have on me now._

She peeled off her disposable gloves and binned them, giving a deep sigh as she looked about the room. It was a mess, despite her staff’s best work. Sometimes there simply was no way around it. Alexandra began to slowly clean up and wished she had a fresh coffee to sip on as she worked. Hopefully, with the jump to Slipspace, most of the crew would opt for cryo and she could catch some extra sleep. 

Their footsteps were audible before she ever saw them. Heavy and methodical, the thuds carried through her closed doorway. A pneumatic hiss as they entered and Alexandra smelled the charred flesh, immediately preparing analgesics and dermacortic steroids. There was a rustle of movement but it didn’t sound like the BDUs of the Marines and there was no urgent call for her help. Her brow furrowed, she turned and stopped dead in her tracks.

 _They’re bloody huge._ That’s the only thought she had for a moment. It’s not unusual for her to be shorter than her patients, at just over one and a half meters tall, it’s a rarity than she stands above anyone. But the five people in front of her have to be two meters or taller. With their drab, olive green metal armor and gold visors, they almost seemed otherworldly. The stench and sight of burnt flesh, however, tells Alexandra that they’re very much human. 

Her instincts kicked in as she surveyed the wounded soldier in front of her. A white ‘117’ is stenciled on his chest. A quick glance shows they all have numbers. 087, 104, 058, 043. “Right, help 117 onto the table, then weapons outside and helmets off.” There was a momentary pause and even through the visors she can feel them staring at her. Alexandra clapped her hands. “On the double!” 

She blinked and nearly missed it, they moved so fast. One collected all of their weapons and placed them outside the door even as they all removed their helmets. Everyone jumped to follow her orders except 117. Typical, it was _always_ the patient. The rest stood with their helmets tucked under their arms. They all had scars on their faces and if she had to guess, the rest of their body too. She didn’t know what unit they were in but it was almost certainly the tip of the spear in any fight.

“Well, come on then,” she said, pulling her cart over to a table. With slow deliberate steps he made his way towards her, as though moving towards his execution. He stopped before the table and looked at it and then back to her. 

“Ma’am, I’m not sure the table is rated for my weight,” he said. 

Alexandra eyeballed him for a moment. “How much do you weigh in that suit?”

“Just under half a ton, ma’am.” 

She hummed and shrugged. “Well, I’m certainly not treating you on the floor, so we’ll risk it. Now, helmet off and up you get. What’s your name?” she asked. In her experience, conversation helped distract her patients, put them at ease. Very few soldiers liked being wounded and even less wanted to go to the medbay. 

There was another metallic rustle behind her as he removed his helmet, displaying a face just as scarred as the others. Very slowly, he slid himself onto the table. It creaked and groaned but held and she grinned in triumph, even as she pulled on a fresh set of gloves and slipped her mask and goggles back into place. 

“Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117, ma’am,” he answered. 

Alexandra harrumphed and gently peeled away tattered parts of his bodysuit to assess the damage further. It was mostly second degree burns, but there were small patches of third degree as well. It was no doubt unbelievably painful, but the man barely even twitched.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117. I’m Lieutenant Junior Grade Alexandra Gunnarsdóttir. But you still haven’t answered my question.” There was a rustle behind her, and she turned to find the other four saluting her. She swiveled back with wide eyes to see the Chief standing and saluting as well. “Please don’t. At ease all of you. I’m not a soldier,” she stuttered. 

She took a deep breath and regained control of herself. The exhaustion of the nonstop days was catching up with her. “God, I could use a cup of coffee,” she muttered. “Chief, back on the table and so help me if you move again before I give you clearance. In case you hadn’t noticed, you have second and third degree burns along your lower left leg. I will have your friends hold you down if needed.”

He blinked at her before he slid back onto the table. She drew a needle full with an analgesic which would leave him awake for the moment. He would need to be put under for the steroid cycle, but that could come later. Once she located the port on his armor, she inserted the needle and squeezed. Alexandra put the empty needle back then slid a sterile field generator into place above his wound as well. She selected a pair of sterilized tweezers to pick out debris from the wound.

“Now, are you going to make me ask a third time, Master Chief?” she questioned, dropping shards of rock and his bodysuit onto a tray. 

“John, ma’am,” he finally answered. 

She nodded approvingly. “See that wasn’t so hard, was it. What about the rest of you?” 

There was only a moment's pause before they answered.

“Fred.”

“Kelly.”

“Linda.”

“Will.”

She nodded at them quickly. “It’s a pleasure meeting you. Wish it was under better circumstances but in my line of work, it rarely ever is.” She turned to look at John and found him observing her with an indiscernible expression. “Want to tell me how this happened?” 

Alexandra gave his leg another examination and found no more debris to remove. He answered as she moved to prep an IV with a sedative. 

“Made a mistake and was distracted by the three Elites in front of me and missed the Grunt flanking with an overcharged plasma pistol,” he said, and though his voice stayed even, she detected a hint of his frustration. 

She didn’t think it was worth mentioning that fighting three Elites simultaneously would distract anyone. In fact, she didn’t even know how he was still alive with those odds but soldiers had their pride and Alexandra knew it overruled reason more often than not. 

“Well, the good news is that you’ll be back on your feet and in the fight very soon but it’s going to involve an overnight stay here and sedation,” she said, placing her hand on his armored forearm to steady it and insert the IV. Alexandra felt him tense, even through the layers. She gave him her most reassuring look, honed over the years of dealing with twitchy soldiers. 

Thankfully, John saw something in her that relaxed him and allowed her to turn over his arm. The needle achieved a solid connection and began its drip. 

“Now, you should begin to feel very sleepy in a couple of minutes, though maybe more with your size. It’s a gradual drop off and then I’ll set you up with some steroids. This will regrow the skin you lost. You will have some scarring, though; those third degrees are nasty business. Any questions?” she asked. 

He gave her a small shake of his head. She gave him a warm smile and patted his hand before turning to prep the steroid course. Alexandra cast a critical glance over the other four who all appeared none the worse for wear. One of them with silver streaks in his hair, Fred, she remembered, gave her a small nod. The brunette, Kelly, shifted minutely.

“Do any of you need my medical expertise?” she asked. They all shook their heads in response. Kelly shifted again, just a small shuffle of her feet. Alexandra got the impression she didn’t enjoy standing around or watching one of her friends laid up in the medbay. The combination of the two seemed to make her anxious. 

“Feel free to speak your minds,” she said, noticing their discreet glances. Damn military was always so uptight about not talking unless spoken to. It made sense, Alexandra supposed but it didn’t feel appropriate now. She wasn’t a soldier and the only reason she ranked higher than any of them was because of bureaucratic considerations. 

“Ma’am, why did you have us remove our helmets?” Kelly asked. Alexandra’s hands froze and she dropped her head. She sighed and turned to face them.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you guys, let alone treated a- what did you say, Spartan? But I’ve seen hundreds of Helljumpers and I learned early on that they like to hide behind their visors and pretend they aren’t in pain. They can’t lie to me if I can see their faces. I can always tell, _always_ ,” she responded. 

“How?” Will asked, and it sounded like an academic query, as if he wanted to learn this trick for future use. Alexandra wished it were so simple.

“Because I lie every day for a living. I look brave men and women in the face and tell them they’re going to be alright even as they’re dying in front of me. I’m not proud of it and if there is an afterlife, I’m sure I’ll pay for it. But if it brings comfort to even one of them…” she trailed off quietly and shook her head. 

They’re quiet after that as she works. What could they say to that? Alexandra turned and found John still awake though his eyelids were fighting to close. She checked his vitals and seeing that everything was steady, stepped closer to wait for him to finally go under. His lips moved so she bent closer to hear him.

“You’re as much… a soldier…as the rest of us,” he mumbled. Her eyes widened in surprise even as he nodded to her and finally succumbed to the sedative. She blinked away her tears and took a deep breath before sliding the loaded needle into the injector port in his armor. Once that was done she rechecked his vitals and disposed of the used needles and equipment. 

Fred, Kelly, Linda, and Will each stepped forward and rested their hands on John’s chest for a moment before stepping away. Alexandra was preparing the official report when there was a synchronous rustle, like earlier. She looked to see each of the Spartans saluting her once again. They were hard to read, these Spartans but the Lieutenant thought she saw gratitude on their faces. She returned their salute with pride and watched them file out.

She was still exhausted and wrung out, fearful that the war would drag on for years yet or be over all too soon in defeat but Alexandra also found herself hopeful. They hadn’t lost and they would fight until the bloody end and it was her job to make sure that humanity had as many soldiers as it needed. She may not be a frontline soldier but they relied on her and she would be damned if she ever let them down. 

It was hours later when she woke, slumped over her desk. She yawned, stretched, and turned to find that John was no longer in his bed. On her desk, however, was a dozen cups of coffee and a note.

_Lieutenant Gunnirsdóttir,_

_Weren’t sure how you took your coffee. Thanks for your help. Never doubt your importance. Chin up, soldier._

_-Master Chief Petty Officer John & Petty Officer Second Class Kelly & Spartan Blue Team _

-Hope-

Rear Admiral Alexandra Gunnarsdóttir strode through the corridors of the UNSC _Infinity._ A magnificent ship and much nicer than anything she had ever served on. Over 18,000 crew and the top of the line in everything. Had she been thirty years younger, she would have requested to be stationed aboard it.

She was there on official business, technically. As one of the head medical officers of Project ORCHID, it was part of her duties to collect and analyze the medical data of those Spartan IVs who were in active service. This could be accomplished very easily via an electronic transfer but the _Infinity_ was in the Sol system for a refit and would be leaving in only a few days. Alexandra wanted to see it firsthand, and one of its crew members in particular. 

In more than three decades of service, Alexandra had seen her fair share of medical facilities, across planets and ships. The one she stepped into aboard the _Infinity_ gleamed with fresh shine and new equipment but it was very much the same as the cramped spaces among the smaller ships of humanity’s fleet. Tables and equipment, staff and patients. 

She had personally selected this ship’s medical contingent. They needed higher qualifications to account for the presence of Spartan IVs. Her selection system had ruffled more than a few feathers at FLEETCOM, but Alexandra stood by her process. Names were removed from applications and individuals were selected or denied based solely on their records and merit. The ship was too high profile to have anything or anyone less than the best available. 

The person she was looking for was at the far end of the room. They had a datapad in hand and were marking off the inventory of various supplies. It wasn’t until she was within a few meters of him that he looked up. His eyes widened as he straightened and saluted. She returned the gesture with a warm smile before lowering her hand. Lieutenant John Ragnarsson looked much like his father had when he was young but his eyes were the ice blue of Alexandra. 

She pulled her son into a warm embrace which he returned, swamping her in his larger frame. 

“Mom, what are you doing here?” he asked as they separated, grinning down at her. 

“I came to collect the medical reports of the Spartan IVs aboard the _Infinity_ and I figured I might as well stop in,” she replied with a laugh which made him roll his eyes. 

“The grind stops for no one, I see. Especially those with two stars on their shoulders,” he replied. John led her back to his office and retrieved a datapad full of the information she was after. 

“Don’t remind me. I have twice the work and half the energy as I used to. There are days when I miss serving on a ship,” she sighed. 

The dull thudding steps of soldiers clad in MJOLNIR emanated from the door to the medbay before he could reply. She turned and found four Spartans in the GEN2 armor approaching them. Two in varying shades of blue, one in an off white tinted beige, and another in dark olive green. The quartet stopped and smartly saluted her. There was something familiar about them as she returned the salute.

There was a whisper silent hiss as the Spartan in green released the seal on his helmet and removed it. Alexandra recognized John’s face immediately as he stepped forward. 

“Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan-117 reporting as ordered for medical examination,” he said firmly. Her son stepped up beside her, poking away at his datapad but she had eyes only for the people in front of her. 

“Just one moment, Chief, and I’ll be ready,” her son said. 

“It’s good to see you again, John,” she said, drawing his attention. Judging from the tilted visors behind him, the other Spartans were watching her as well. “You probably don’t remember me but I patched up your leg many, many years ago. I never got a chance to thank you and Kelly and the rest for the coffee, so I hope you’ll accept my belated gratitude.” 

John nodded his acceptance and she swore there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. There was a hiss as another Spartan removed their helm. Alexandra saw that it was Kelly, older, as they all were, but she knew it was her without a doubt. 

“It’s a pleasure to see you as well, ma’am. Glad to see someone with brains made admiral,” Kelly said lightly. 

“Kelly,” another Spartan said warningly. She watched as Fred took his helmet off and shook his head at her but she seemed wholly unrepentant. The last Spartan, Linda, finally removed her helm as well. 

Alexandra nodded at them all with a smile. “I’m gratified to have your support.” 

Her son looked between her and the Spartans, these larger than life legends who had inspired her with brutal honesty and a kind gesture. They were a group of few words but those they did speak were nothing but their truth. They weren’t the type to offer empty platitudes and condolences, their words carried meaning. Their vote of confidence all those years ago had impacted her life in ways she could never have imagined. 

“I would like you to meet my son, Lieutenant John Ragnarsson,” she said, placing her hand proudly on his arm. The Spartan’s eyes widened a fraction at the connection before he and the others saluted him. Her son returned the acknowledgment crisply. 

“It’s an honor to meet you, Master Chief,” her son said brightly. The older John nodded at him and this time there was the smallest of smiles on his face. “If you’ll just follow me, I’ll take you through the exam. It probably won’t take you very long.” 

She snorted at the understatement, even as the two headed off towards a separate room. Kelly came to stand next to her and Alexandra was forced to crane her head back to meet the other woman’s eyes. 

“Did you name him after Chief?” Kelly asked. 

She smiled proudly. “I never forgot you guys or your words. You gave me hope when I needed it and allowed me to do things I never imagined. I had a son who I couldn’t be more proud of, and survived that god awful war, and now I’m helping shape the newest generation of Spartans.” 

Kelly nodded sharply. “He’ll never say it but it means a lot to him. Looks like you kept your chin up, after all.” 

Alexandra smiled at the words from the note so many years ago. “It looks like we both did.” 

It was amazing the impact a few kind words and a small gesture had made. Alexandra tried to pay it back in the way she raised her boy, and the work she did with the Spartan IVs, that they could give others the hope John and Kelly and Fred and Linda and Will had once given her. 

Without hope, after all, there was very little left to fight for.

  
  
  
  



End file.
